TV Ratings: 'Dancing' finale, 'Bachelorette' premiere help ABC rule Monday

Ashley of 'The Bachelorette'

Credit: ABC

Fast National ratings for Monday, May 23, 2011. 

ABC got huge Monday numbers for the "Dancing with the Stars" finale performances, leading into solid (but significantly less huge) premiere numbers for Ashley Hebert's debut as "The Bachelorette." That was enough to easily carry ABC past FOX's "House" and "Chicago Code" finales.

Meanwhile, reduced competition helped "The Chicago Code," "The Event" and "Law & Order: Los Angeles" all get big Monday bumps for new episodes.

Among adults 18-49, ABC averaged a 3.4 rating for the night, comfortably beating the 2.6 rating for FOX in the key demographic. CBS' 1.8 rating followed, with NBC's 1.4 rating good for fourth. The CW was last with a 0.2 rating.

Overall, ABC averaged an estimated 13.56 million viewers and an 8.7 rating/14 share for the night. That was far ahead of the 4.9/6 and nearly 8 million viewers for FOX and the 4.1/6 and 6.32 million viewers for CBS. NBC's 3.1/5 and 4.94 million viewers finished fourth. The CW was last with only 595,000 viewers and a 0.4/1.

8 p.m. - The first part of the "Dancing with the Stars" finale drew 22.15 million viewers and a 4.6 rating among adults 18-49 for ABC in the 8 p.m. hour, far ahead of what "Dancing" did in the same hour last week. FOX's "House" finale averaged 8.9 million viewers and a 3.3 demo rating, negligibly up from last week in viewers and down from last week in the demo. CBS' repeats of "How I Met Your Mother" averaged 4.39 million viewers, edging out the 4.3 million viewers for NBC's "Minute to Win It." The CW's repeat of "90210" averaged 674,000 viewers.

9 p.m. - Although it squandered heaps of its lead-in, "The Bachelorette" kept ABC in first for the 9 p.m. hour with 10.21 million viewers and a 2.9 demo rating. CBS' repeats of "Two and a Half Men" and "Mike and Molly" averaged 7.63 million viewers. FOX's "Chicago Code" got a finale bump with 7.03 million viewers and a 2.0 demo rating in third. Also rising for its finale was NBC's "The Event," which went up to 4.57 million viewers and a 1.5 demo rating. [Both "Chicago Code" and "The Event" weren't renewed by their respective network, but both continue to hold hope of outside reprieve.] The CW's "Gossip Girl" repeat averaged 516,000 viewers.

10 p.m. - "The Bachelorette" remained in first for the 10 p.m. hour with 8.33 million viewers and a 2.7 demo rating. CBS' "Clash of the Commercials" was second with 6.96 million viewers. Third went to NBC's "Law & Order: Los Angeles" with 5.95 million viewers and a 1.4 demo rating, also way up from last week.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.

Via  http://www.hitfix.com/articles/tv-ratings-dancing-finale-bachelorette-premiere-help-abc-rule-monday